chickenshit: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowVery informal, vulgar, offensive slang
Quick answer
What does “chickenshit” mean?
A person who is cowardly, timid, or contemptibly unimportant.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who is cowardly, timid, or contemptibly unimportant.
Something petty, insignificant, overly bureaucratic, or characterized by petty rules. Can also describe a trivial or ridiculous excuse for not acting.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More commonly used and recorded in American English. While understood in the UK, it is less frequently employed.
Connotations
Both varieties carry the same strong pejorative force. In both, it suggests a lack of courage combined with a degree of pettiness or insignificance.
Frequency
Significantly more frequent in American English, particularly in military, political, and workplace contexts to denote petty bureaucracy or cowardice.
Grammar
How to Use “chickenshit” in a Sentence
[Subject] be (a) chickenshitcall [Object] (a) chickenshit[Noun] chickenshit [Noun] (e.g., chickenshit detail)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chickenshit” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He completely chickened out, the utter chickenshit.
American English
- Don't chickenshit out on me now; we need you.
adverb
British English
- He acted chickenshit, refusing to confront the manager.
American English
- Stop behaving so chickenshit and stand up for yourself.
adjective
British English
- I'm not doing that chickenshit task they gave the interns.
American English
- We're stuck here because of some chickenshit regulation from head office.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Avoid entirely. Highly unprofessional and potentially harassing.
Academic
Unacceptable in any formal writing or discourse.
Everyday
Used only in very casual, often heated conversations among peers. High risk of causing offense.
Technical
Not applicable.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “chickenshit”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chickenshit”
- Using it in formal contexts.
- Confusing it with 'bullshit' (which is about nonsense, not necessarily cowardice).
- Overusing it and diluting its strong pejorative impact.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is considered vulgar slang and is offensive. It should be avoided in polite, formal, and professional contexts.
'Chicken' (as a noun for a person) simply means coward. 'Chickenshit' is stronger, adding layers of contempt, pettiness, and worthlessness to the accusation.
Yes. When used attributively (e.g., 'chickenshit rules', 'chickenshit job'), it describes something as petty, insignificant, or annoyingly bureaucratic.
Rarely, and only in very informal, jocular contexts among friends who understand the strong pejorative force. The risk of causing offense is high.
A person who is cowardly, timid, or contemptibly unimportant.
Chickenshit is usually very informal, vulgar, offensive slang in register.
Chickenshit: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɪkɪnʃɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃɪkənʃɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not to take any chickenshit from someone (to refuse to tolerate petty nonsense)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a chicken (associated with fear) and something worthless (shit). A 'chickenshit' is someone whose fear makes them act in a worthless or petty way.
Conceptual Metaphor
COURAGE IS SIZE/SUBSTANCE; FEAR IS SMALL/WORTHLESS (a coward is small and excremental).
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'chickenshit' be MOST inappropriate?